Fallout: Dark Heresy

Call Forth the Army of Decay

This foul arcana must be cast at night in a cemetery, grave-site, battlefield, morgue or other place where the dead lie in copious numbers, for it reanimates the corpses and causes them to rise as a shambling, twisted mockery of life, driven to slay the living and spread their sorcerous plague.

In addition to the site to be so desecrated, this ritual requires an altar and trappings dedicated to the Ruinous Power known as Nurgle, the Lord of Pestilence and a sentient being of pure heart and uncorrupted flesh. During the casting of the Arcana, this sacrificial victim must be restrained and painted with blood and offal with runes and sigils pleasing to the God of Decay. Upon completion of the invocation, the victim’s heart is cut out with a specially-prepared dagger and set upon the altar, while a lead bowl of the victim’s blood is poured out upon the ground in the likeness of the Plague God’s symbol.

If the Manifestation Test is successful, a number of corpses within range rise from their graves. The number of corpses that reanimate is 10 + the Sorcerer’s WP Bonus. This same number of corpses will rise every Round that the Sorcerer sustains the arcana, until the area is depleted of its supply of bodies. For every 5 Rounds the Sorcerer sustains the Arcana, a single Vile Savant will rise to act as a lieutenant or commander for the growing horde of the undead plague. Once summoned, the zombies and the Vile Savants will move towards the closest concentration of living creatures unless given other orders by the Sorcerer.

Though the risen dead are essentially mindless, they can be directed by the sorcerer to wield basic tools and devices in order to perform basic labor tasks. The use of firearms or other ranged weaponry is beyond their abilities. They are capable of wielding melee weapons, though only melee weapons of Primitive type can also carry their virulent toxin.

An alternate form of this Arcana has been rumored to exist, but requires the collection and use of arcane and profane musical instruments, the intonation of unholy incantations, and of course, retains the ritual sacrifice of the innocent.